Reshaping Tables

The ''Reshape'' tool allows you to select and edit the cells in a table instead of editing the entire table. You can insert and delete rows and columns, merge cells into larger cells, dissolve larger cells into original cells, set formulas for cells, and set the width, height, fill and border for cells. Note the difference when you select a table with the ''Reshape'' tool instead of the ''Object'' tool.

Selecting cells

When you select a table with the ''Reshape'' tool, object handles will appear at each corner of the table and selected cell's fill will be inverted.

The Reshape Cursor

To select a cell: Click anywhere inside a cell. The selected cell's fill will be inverted.

To select multiple cells: Hold down a Shift key and click on the cells, or drag around the cells. Selecting cells is very similar to selecting objects.

To change selected cell with the cursor keys: With a cell already selected, press a cursor key to select the cell above, below, to the right, or to the left.

Inserting and deleting rows and columns

Using the ''Reshape'' tool, rows and columns of new cells can be inserted, and existing rows and columns of cells can be deleted.

To insert a row: Select any cell in the row to insert before. Click the ''Insert Row'' button in the ''Edit Palette''. A new row of cells will be inserted before the selected row. If more than one row is selected, a new row will be inserted before each. To insert after the selected rows, hold down a Shift key when clicking the ''Insert Row'' button.

To delete a row: Select any cell in the row to delete. Click the ''Delete Row'' button in the ''Edit Palette''. If more than one row is selected, each row will be deleted.

To insert a column: Select any cell in the column to insert before. Click the ''Insert Column'' button in the ''Edit Palette''. A new column of cells will be inserted before the selected column. If more than one column is selected, a new column will be inserted before each. To insert after the selected column, hold down a Shift key when clicking the ''Insert Column'' button.

To delete a column: Select any cell in the column to delete. Click the ''Delete Column'' button in the ''Edit Palette''. If more than one column is selected, each column will be deleted.

Adjusting row heights and column widths

To set the height of a row: Select any cell in the row to adjust. Enter the new height in the ''H'' text box. If more than one row is selected, each row's height will be set.

To set the width of a row: Select any cell in the column to adjust. Enter the new height in the ''W'' text box. If more than one column is selected, each column's width will be set.

Joining and spliting cells

Using the ''Reshape'' tool, cells can be joined to form a larger cell that spans across the space of the originally joined cells. Cell border and fill, as well as text, will respect the new size.

To join adjoining cells: Select any square block of cells grouped either horizontally, vertically, or both. Click the ''Join Cells'' button in the ''Edit Palette''. The upper-left most selected cell will grow to fill the space. The other selected cells will be deleted.

To split a joined cell: Select the joined cell. Click the ''Split Cell'' button in the ''Edit Palette''. The existing text will be placed in the upper-left cell of the new cells, and the remaining new cells will be empty.

Setting the fill and border styles of a cell

To set the style of the top border of the cell: Select the cell. Click the ''Set Cell Top Border'' button to display the ''Line'' dialog box. Select the top border attributes. Click ''OK''.

To set the style of the bottom border of the cell: Select the cell. Click the ''Set Cell Bottom Border'' button to display the ''Line'' dialog box. Select the bottom border attributes. Click ''OK''.

To set the style of the left border of the cell: Select the cell. Click the ''Set Cell Left Border'' button to display the ''Line'' dialog box. Select the left border attributes. Click ''OK''.

To set the style of the right border of the cell: Select the cell. Click the ''Set Cell Right Border'' button to display the ''Line'' dialog box. Select the right border attributes. Click ''OK''.

To set the fill style of the cell: Select the cell. Click the ''Set Cell Fill'' button to display the ''Fill'' dialog box. Select the fill attributes. Click ''OK''.

Defining cell formulas or numerical values

Select the cell. Enter the numerical value or formula in the ''Value'' text box in the ''Edit Palette''. Press enter (once on Mac, twice on Amiga) or click on the apply button (required for Windows).

The ''Cell'' text box in the ''Edit Palette'' tells you what cell you have selected. Cells are lettered from left to right starting with A, and are numbered from top to bottom starting at 1. Joined cells are normally referenced by the upper left cell, but can be referenced by any of the joined cells.

The form to use when entering a formula is an equal sign (=) followed by the mathematical formula. Values in the formula may be added (+), subtracted (-), mulitplied (*), and divided (/). The natural math order is respected, where multiplies and divides are completed before additional and subtractions. By using paranthesis, the natural order may be modified. For example, 3-1*2 will return the result 1, but (3-1)*2 will return the result 4.

Values may be integers (1, 2, 745, etc.), real or floating point numbers (.25, 4.128, etc.), references to the value of another cell (A1, b4, E23, etc.), or functions (ABS(-4.5), COS (.5), log(B2), SUM(A1:C3), etc.)

The functions supported by PageStream's table features are listed below. Those functions which take a range use the form cell1:cell2 (A1:D1, E10:S20, a4:b4, etc.).

Function	Returns
ABS(value)	Absolute, or positive, of value.
ARCSIN(value)	Arcsine of value. Radian based result.
ARCCOS(value)	Arccosine of value. Radian based result.
ARCTAN(value)	Arctangent of value. Radian based result.
AVERAGE(range) or AVG(range)	Average of values in range (sum / number of values).
COS(value)	Cosine of value. Radian based argument.
EXP(value)	Exponentiation (base e).
INT(value)	Integer of value- rounds to whole number.
LN(value)	Natural logarithm (base e).
LOG(value)	Common logarithm (base 10).
MAX(range)	Maximum value of values in range.
MIN(range)	Minimum value of values in range.
SIN(range)	Sine of value. Radian based argument.
SUM(range)	Summation of values in range.
TAN(value)	Tangent of value. Radian based argument.

Reshaping Tables  Sub-Section  url:PGSuser/reshaping#tables
  created:2006-04-16 10:15:10   last updated:2006-08-09 11:50:28
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